Ms Mary Curtis:

The most recent figures we have are from Nielsen, taking in conversion rates from August. Currently, 300,000 homes have Saorview, with approximately another 200,000 homes to go. This is positive, although it may not sound it, as we have discussed the matter with people in other jurisdictions and countries, where people left the process until the last minute. We are working very closely with retailers and installers to ensure there is sufficient stock, and we are pushing for people to buy the approved technology now rather than leave it until the last minute.

We have an extensive television advertising campaign on Saorview, and we have outreach partners in Macra na Feirme, Muintir na Tíre and Energy Action. They have been very good collaborative partners in going out to talk to people specifically about Saorview. We have had a very strong presence at events, and we are at the National Ploughing Championships this week. We have also been at the Tall Ships festival, the Bloom festival and all around the country. During the summer we also held trade retail weeks, covering every county and working very closely with local retailers. We had advertising in local press and radio to ensure we reached a granular level in the community.

We have a comprehensive website and we also have a phone line, and there is a big push for the last four weeks in trying to get this work done. Our "Let's Get Connected" campaign has worked extremely well, with loved faces from television asking people to go to others in the community to see if they need to be connected. Any support is welcome, and the committee is probably sick of receiving letters from me. We also sent out a handbook for public representatives, and I hope that is of assistance. Members may also wish to ask questions, and for their constituents, we have a phone line, website and other needed resources.